Violent video games

"Write a blog post about a mass medium (e.g., Grand Theft Auto) that could send undesirable messages. Locate at least three academic journal articles about the medium (e.g., violent video games). Describe the medium, cite the research about media effects, and reflect." Of course I took the high road and used the example they gave me. Based on the secondary research I did, I have concluded that violent video games do not increase violence in society.

I found three separate articles that pertain to the topic of violent video games. The first one I found was an article in the LA Times about a law that prevents violent games from being sold to minors. As of right now, the sale of violent video games is legal to minors. The state argues that parents could use the help in preventing their kids from video games. However, the video game attorney makes a solid point: "Maybe a state will say we shouldn't let you sell, without a parent's permission, books about homosexuality or sex education or birth control," Paul Smith, the industry's attorney, said after the hearing. "I think it's a very scary prospect." The state is trying to make its case by saying that because video games are interactive, they promote participation in violent acts. This point is the same exact point that the next article I found was based on.

The article was on the American Psychological Association website and was titled, "Violent Video Games Can Increase Aggression." It claims that violent video games are more harmful because they are interactive. It claimed that based on their research, men who were habitually aggressive were more violent because of violent video games and that everyone who participated in the violence showed a short increase of aggression. So basically they are saying that violent people are still violent after they play a violent video game and that mild-tempered people are violent for only a short time. Did they think that it was possible that the short lived aggression could be contributed to something else? Most violent video games are contest based so couldn't the aggression be based on an adrenaline rush from competing?

The last article I found was on the PBS website. It was about myths concerning videogames. The article was written by a professor at MIT. His overall message is that video games are given too much credit and that sane individuals can disassociate fantasy from reality. I agree fully with this article. Video games only have as much power as they are given. Why does it matter whether or not video games increase violence? From the first article I found, it matters to the parents who don't want their kids playing violent games and it matters to the game producers who want to keep making and selling their product. It is an issue about freedom versus responsibility. Some people just want to blame and put the responsibility on others. What really needs to be done is that we need to take responsibility for what we choose to participate in. If parents don't want their kids to play certain games then they should take responsibility to do it themselves. People need to be responsible. We can't sacrifice freedom for dependency.